Archives for June 2018

 

Another week has flown by so why not take a pause for a little pick-me-up? Here are your top three feel-good stories of the week.

Stepping Up

Via Fox News

When Gloria Garza graduated from Southwest High School in San Antonio, Texas, the only thing missing was her father, former deputy with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, Jesus “Jesse” Garza who had died in the line of duty when she was just three years old. However, his patrol unit made sure she would not be attending alone. Deputies with the Sheriff’s Office escorted Garza to her graduation. She was escorted by a patrol unit and walked in arm-in-arm with Sheriff Javier Salazar. “I know Jesse would be doing this himself absolutely if he could right now. Being that he can’t be with us, he’s got 1,500 brothers and sisters that are willing to do it for him,” said Sheriff Salazar.

A Serendipitous Meeting

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycrg64rXsSw&w=560&h=315]

Via CBS New York 

It was a normal day for New Jersey State Trooper, Michael Patterson when he stopped Matthew Bailly in Kingwood Township for driving with tinted windows. Bailly mentioned that he was a retired Piscataway cop; which was Patterson’s hometown. When Patterson mentioned the street he grew up on, the retired cop told him he was familiar with it and that he had delivered a baby on that street 27 years ago. It was in this moment Patterson realized he had just pulled over the retired police officer who delivered him when he was born. Talk about a coincidence! Needless to say, he let him off with a warning.

Keeping Calm

Via Fox News

Captain Chris Blazek, of the Chattanooga Fire Department, was called to the scene of a motor vehicle accident on State Route 58. When he arrived, he found three young children and their pregnant mother in the car. The two older children were fine, but the 1-year-old was visibly very upset. After he examined her and made sure she was ok, he asked the mother if he could remove her from the car seat. The young girl immediately laid her head on his shoulder and fell asleep. Captain Blazek stayed with the little girl until family arrived to take the children home. He said it’s moments like this that remind him why he does the job.

There you have it, another beautiful week full of reminders that there is still so much good in the world. We hope you enjoy the weekend and continue to pay it forward wherever you can!

 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C689z_5zPL8&w=560&h=315]

 

At Above the Clouds, a non-profit organization based out of Norwood, Massachusetts, a team of pilots and other dedicated volunteers are working to bring joy and hope to children and teens through the wonder of small aircraft flight. They believe that getting the chance to sit in the co-pilots seat and soar above the clouds, will provide a brief, yet exciting respite for those who are ill, disabled, underserved or facing other serious adversity.

Above the Clouds was founded by attorney and instrument-rated private pilot, Gary Oberstein. For years, Gary provided free airplane rides in his 6-seater Piper Saratoga through charity auctions and events. He finally decided to create his own organization to pair his passion for aviation with his desire to help ill and underprivileged youth. Today, Above the Clouds has dozens of volunteer pilots who share Gary’s vision.

There are three different programs that Above the Clouds offers: Dream Flyers, Discovery Flyers, and Cadet Flyers. The Dream Flyers program is for children who are ill, disabled, experiencing homelessness, suffering the loss of a family member or other serious adversity. On their flight day, they sit in the co-pilot’s seat of a small airplane or helicopter, and actually take the controls! Dream Flyers helps these children escape their everyday struggles with a thrilling, once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The Discovery Flyers introduces teenagers to the world of aviation through Discovery Pilot mentors. They fly regularly with their mentors to learn about operating an airplane and are given the opportunity to attend aviation-related field trips. Some of the exciting trips are a “fly-out” to the New England Air Museum in Connecticut and a special behind-the-scenes look at JetBlue, which includes exploring the cockpit of an Embraer 190, visiting the operations tower and speaking with mechanics, ground crew and pilots.

The third program offered by Above the Clouds is Cadet Flyers, a direct response to the growing numbers of youths who are failing out of school or involved with social service agencies due to difficult home situations. With the goal of teaching discipline and the importance of integrity, Above the Clouds uses this program as a motivational tool, to encourage teens to apply themselves and achieve goals. Cadet Flyers gradually learn how to fly an airplane, providing them with better self-esteem for a brighter future.

None of the amazing work that Above the Clouds does would be possible without the hard work and dedication of their volunteers. From the pilots who donate their time and aircraft to the flight coordinators who bring the pilots and flyers together to the ground crew volunteers who greet the families with signs and balloons and make flight day as exciting as possible. Together, they have used the joy of flight as the antidote for children in difficult situations and teenagers who need to find the right path to succeed.

If you are interested in learning more about Above the Clouds or to make a donation to sponsor a flyer, please click HERE.

 

Do you know what the best part of a long weekend is? The short week after! We hope you all enjoyed the holiday and took some time to remember what Memorial Day is all about. Now, let’s hop right into our top three feel-good stories of the week!

Riding in Style

Via Fox News

Kelly Tryda was new to the Bridgewater, MA, area when she posted to a town Facebook page looking for information on how to get from Bridgewater to Boston Children’s Hospital. Her eight-year-old daughter, Mary Alice Tryda has a rare genetic disorder called Brittle Cornea Disease, which is a subset of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Kelly received a response from Steven Hipolito, owner of Silver City Limousine in nearby Taunton. Hipolito offered to take the pair to Mary’s doctors’ appointments in Boston in one of his limos, for free! He has since taken Tryda to seven of her doctor’s appointments, which are located more than an hour away in Boston. What an amazing random act of kindness.

 

When Life Gives your Lemons

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Au8uOPfWvI&w=560&h=315]

Via ABC News

Nine-year-old Andrew Emery of Greenwood, South Carolina, decided he was going to set up a lemonade stand over Memorial Day weekend. Unlike most kids who would use the money for candy and baseball cards, Andrew planned to use the funds raised to help his parents pay for his younger brother, Dylan’s, medical bills. Dylan was born earlier this year with Krabbe disease, a severe neurological condition. Andrew managed to raise an impressive $5,860 in just two hours! Andrew says he’s going to spend the money on doctor’s bills and a new teddy bear for his little brother.

 

Home of the Braves

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nxym-6cxdg&w=560&h=315]

Via CBS Miami

A chair at the Atlanta Braves baseball stadium sits empty during every game in honor of our soldiers who are POW or MIA. This unoccupied seat is dedicated to the memory of the men and woman who have bravely made sacrifices serving their country. This past Memorial Day, a Parkview High School U.S. Marine Corps JROTC member was called to stand next to the chair during the game. As it began to rain, an unnamed Braves fan stood over the marine with an umbrella. What an incredible way to honor our troops!

And that wraps up another week of feel-good stories. We hope you take these acts of kindness and carry them with you into the weekend, even the smallest gesture can make a huge difference.